Community Views
Editor's Notebook
An Actor, A Role,
A Theme In Judaism
A Home Where
The Heart Is
PETER GREENBAUM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
For my last birth-
day, my girl-
friend gave me a
video of the film
Spartacus.
I had not seen
the film in many
years and was
immediately en-
k41
tranced by the
adventure. I also realized that
Kirk Douglas is a really good ac-
tor. This led me to ponder Dou-
glas' career and his role as
Spartacus. There are similarities.
Douglas was born Issur
Danielovitch on Dec. 9, 1916, in
Amsterdam, N.Y. His parents,
Russian Jews, had immigrated
there in 1910 to escape the
pogroms.
The young Issy, as he was
called, was raised in the Ortho-
dox tradition. His father sold rags
from a horse-drawn cart. The
young boy divided his days be-
tween public school and cheder.
He also did his best to avoid the
anti-Semitic gangs who plagued
his neighborhood in the upstate
New York town. Desperate to ex-
plore the world beyond Amster-
dam, he discovered a love for
fantasy and performing when he
read a poem to a school audience.
Douglas worked his way first
through St. Lawrence Universi-
ty, then through the American
Academy of Dramatic Arts in
New York. He paid his dues in
countless summer stock and
Broadway productions before fi-
nally winning a film role.
Spartacus the slave was born
in ancient Thrace. No exact date
is known. As a man, he was sold
to a lanista (trainer) and became
a gladiator. He eventually re-
volted and led tens of thousands
of gladiators and slaves against
their Roman oppressors in the
Servile War of 71 B.C.E.
In the film, Douglas portrays
Spartacus as an animal yearn-
ing for freedom. He is trans-
formed into a man who fully
appreciates the beauty of life that
comes with liberty. In actuality,
,
Peter Greenbaum is an
independent filmmaker in
Chicago.
Spartacus' army was caught be- also coaxed actors Laurence
tween the battalions of Crassus Olivier, Charles Laughton and
and Pompey and defeated. The Peter Ustinov to participate.
When Howard Fast submitted
Romans crucified survivors along
the Appian Way. The body of his screenplay, Douglas wasn't
Spartacus was never identified. satisfied. Trouble erupted be-
Michael Munn, the author of tween the actor and writer, and
Kirk Douglas: A Biography, Douglas turned to Dalton Trum-
writes that Spartacus was a spe- bo, the blacklisted Hollywood
cial project for Douglas because screenwriter, to write a new ver-
the story • touched the actor sion.
In 1950, as one of the Un-
deeply. Howard Fast's novel
friendly Ten, Trum-
Spartacus, on which
bo went to jail for a
the film was based,
year. Almost 10
represented the
years later, with the
struggle against op-
pression in whatever
blacklist still in place,
form it takes.
he still couldn't set
Writes Munn, "To
foot on a studio lot.
him (Douglas), the
He continued to
write using different
Servile War repre-
pseudonyms.
sented a neutral fight
for survival. It was a
Toward the end of
principle which he,
post-production on
as a Jew, had grown
Spartacus, the issue
of the screenwriter's
up with."
In his autobiogra- Kirk Douglas: "I wasn't
credit was raised. Ac-
phy, The Ragman's thinking of being a hero and cording to Douglas,
Son, Douglas ac- breaking the blacklist."
one option was to use
Trumbo's pseudo-
knowledges that the
struggle of being an outsider in- nym, Sam Jackson, which meant
fabricating a string of lies. When
fluenced his life.
"It's tough enough to be a Jew, director Stanley Kubrick sug-
but it was very tough in Amster- gested using his own name, Dou-
dam. There were constant re- glas made a decision.
minders. No Jews worked in the
"That night it all suddenly be-
carpet mills. No Jews worked on came very clear," he writes. "I
the local newspaper. No Jewish knew what name to put on the
boys delivered the newspaper ... screen. The next morning I called
All Jews are lonely. I think we all the gate at Universal. Td like to
leave a pass for Dalton Trumbo.'
have hidden scars."
In the late 1950s, Douglas op- The masquerade was over ... I
tioned the film rights to Fast's wasn't thinking of being a hero
novel believing it would make and breaking the blacklist; it
great screen entertainment. But wasn't until later that I realized
he hoped for more than that. He the significance of that impulsive
wanted Spartacus to be an intel- gesture. I was just thinking how
ligent historical drama.
unfair for someone to say, 'Put
The amount of work required my name on it. Let me get the
to create any film is enormous. credit for someone else's work.' "
Is Spartacus a Jewish story?
The effort to bring Spartacus to
the screen was astonishing. Dou- Historically, no. But symbolical-
glas was not only the lead actor, ly, it does echo the story of all peo-
he also served as executive pro- ple forced to rise up against
ducer and was closely involved larger foes. Because of his own
in every detail of the production. experiences as a Jew and his
Like Spartacus, Douglas was struggle to raise himself above
a general marshaling an army of desperate circumstances, I be-
special effects experts, stunt men, lieve Kirk Douglas was able to
technicians and extras. He bat- tap into that ancient theme and
tled hard to raise the $12 million help create an unforgettable mo-
necessary to make the film and tion picture. ❑
TheDJN@aol . corn
11
Nlhat
Do You
/ Think?"
At this point in the summer,
have you started thinking about
the High Holidays yet?
To respond: "So, What Do You Think?"
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
I just returned
from a visit
home to Kansas
City, where I
was reminded
again of a minor
miracle, my
family.
In fact, we
consider our-
selves quite ordinary, though in
perspective I was reminded yet
again, on this latest trip, that we
are extraordinary when it comes
to much of the rest of the world.
About seven years ago, my
mother married a man named
Jack Mandelbaum. Our com-
bined family now consists of sev-
en children and their spouses,
and nine grandchildren. We are,
by anyone's standard, an eclec-
tic collection. Our extended
group includes, among others, a
right-wing religious, non-Zion-
ist family; a gay man and his
partner; a Young Israel couple;
an intermarriage; and a Con-
servative rabbi and his wife.
And to make it even more ex-
citing, we have staunch Repub-
licans and liberal Democrats.
Bring up the name Rush Lim-
baugh, or funding to the Na-
tional Endowment for the Arts,
and it's chaos at the table. I love
it.
What's remarkable about my
family is that despite our dif-
ferent views, and aside from the
inevitable small squabbles that
come with being a big family, we
get along quite well. Everybody
speaks to everybody else, when
we're in the same town we get
together, and we all make an ef-
fort when anyone in the family
needs help or has a special oc-
casion.
This is not to say that I am
part of the Happy Family where
Mom wears a daisy-covered
apron and finds complete ful-
fillment in fixing a superlative
dinner each night, where Dad
never raises his voice or gets
grumpy, and where Big Sis
sings beautifully as she does the
laundry.
But we do all respect each
other, and make the effort to
work together, and I think that's
unusual.
I've thought at length about
why this family is successful,
and I have a few ideas.
One of the keys to our success,
I'm convinced, is the fact that
my mother keeps a kosher
home. A local Reform rabbi once
explained it this way: "A kosher
home is a democratic home, be-
cause anyone can eat there."
There's something about having
a place where everyone can com-
fortably gather, where no one is
excluded or made to feel differ-
ent that makes for a successful
family.
Another factor is that while
we do not emphasize our differ-
ences, neither do we ignore
them. I love a spirited discus-
sion, and I think it's healthy to
argue so long as participants re-
frain from personal attacks and
remain determined to stay fair.
For the life of me, I can't un-
derstand what's so wonderful
about everyone sitting together
saying, "How great it is that we
all agree on everything!" Bor-
ing.
Which brings me to a third el-
ement of a successful family hu-
mor. I once read a comment by
comedian Dana Carvey who
said the single most unattrac-
tive feature of a woman.was her
inability to "get it." You know,
you make a clever remark and
she's left saying, "What?" For-
tunately, everyone in my fami-
ly gets it. Otherwise, I might
have to disown them.
But perhaps the most impor-
tant part of what makes my
family work is my mother and
stepfather, Jack.
I have watched my mother
care for her husband's grand-
children as though they were
her own, and I have seen Jack
love my children, and my sis-
ter's son, with the same affec-
tion he has for his biological
grandchildren.
"Come give Grandpa a kiss,"
Jack says when he comes home
from work. And they run up to
him, jumping up and clinging
tight, their tiny arms around his
neck, their little legs kicking
with excitement.
Jack was born in Poland,
then after the war came to
Kansas City where he estab-
lished a successful business. He
was a prisoner in several con-
centration camps, and virtual-
ly his entire family was
murdered by the Nazis. Not
even a single photograph of his
mother survived.
By all rights, it would seem
such a person could be bitter,
angry or selfish. But Jack is
none of these.
"I consider myself lucky," he
told me. "So many others died
in the Holocaust. I am thankful
for each day."
Life is a curious system of
twists and turns. A chance en-
counter can result in an eter-
nity of love, a marriage; or a
moment can usher in incompa-
rable agony. I feel fortunate that
several years ago a mutual
friend happened to introduce
my mother and Jack, who built
a home together and established
traditions that will stay from
generation to generation to gen-
eration to generation until those
influenced by their kindness be-
come almost uncountable, like
the stars. ❑